Privacy policy

1) Introduction

This privacy policy tells you how we use your personal data. Please read it and ensure you are comfortable with it before downloading and using our services.

When it comes to data, especially children’s data, we believe in a privacy first approach. This means:

1.1. We only collect what is absolutely necessary and we are transparent about what we do collect and why (see what section “Data we collect” and “How we use the data”).

1.2. We don’t use any VPN or MDM (mobile device management software) to connect to your or your child’s device.

We believe this is incredibly invasive and risky. Instead, we use Apple’s Screen Time API which is very secure. We cannot see any of the data from your child’s device, e.g. names of apps on your child’s device - only the parent or guardian can see this. What we see is an anonymous token which we can display back to the parent but we wouldn’t know whether the token represents ‘YouTube kids’.

1.3. We don’t collect or store any usage data. Because we are using Apple’s Screen Time API, we cannot collect or store any usage data such as how long your child spent on YouTube kids.

1.4. We will never, ever, sell any data that we do collect to third parties. Our app requires a small monthly fee to keep us going, so we don’t need to or want to sell data or push ads to make money.

2) Our contact details

If you would like to contact us regarding anything within this policy, please email us at hello@screen-squirrel.com

3) What data we collect

We collect various types of data to provide and improve our services. Here’s a summary of the data we collect:

3.1. Parent Specific Data

• Personal Information: Email address, unique customer identifier, password.

• Contact Information: Email address, communication channels used to contact us (e.g., social media).

• Cookies: When you use visit our website www.screen-squirrel.com we may collect cookies depending on your preferences. You can view how we use these in the next section “how we use the data”.

• Marketing Preferences: Preferences for receiving marketing communications.

• Waitlist information: Name, email address, parent or healthcare professional, whether or not you’re happy to be contacted about user research.

3.2. Child Specific Data

• Personal Information: Name of child/family members, child’s birthday.

• Screen Time Settings: Information about screen time limits, schedules, and blocking preferences configured for your child, synced between child and parent devices.

3.3. Data Collected on Both Parent and Child Devices

• App Usage Behaviour: Duration of usage, usage times, screens viewed within the Screen Squirrel app.

• Device Information: Device EUI, device ID, device fingerprint, IP/Wi-Fi information, operating system, data stored on the device (when access is granted), log information (when access is granted), device type and version.

4) Data We Do Not Collect

4.1. Specific Screen Time Information: We do not collect specific screen time activities from the child, such as blocked or allowed web content or mobile app names or usage and restrictions.

4.2. Location Information: We do not collect location information from either parent or child devices.

5) How we collect the data

5.1. Account Creation and Management: When you create or update an account with us, you provide necessary personal information directly through the account setup and settings processes.

5.2. Communication: When you contact us via email, our website/app chat, or social media, we collect your contact details and any information shared during these interactions.

5.3. Automated Technologies:

• Cookies: We use cookies and similar technologies on our website to gather browsing data and improve user experience. Details on how we use these are in the next section “How we use the data”.

• Our website and app log files automatically record technical data such as IP addresses, browser types, and access times.

5.4. App and Device Interaction: Data about how you and your child interact with the Screen Squirrel app, including device-specific information, is collected automatically to enhance app functionality and user experience. Details on how we use these are in the next section “How we use the data”.

5.5. Consent-Based Collection: We collect marketing preferences and other consent-based data when you provide explicit consent, helping us tailor our communications to your preferences.

5.6. Waitlist: When you sign up to our waitlist you enter information via our form.

6) How we use the data

We use the information we collect for various purposes to provide, maintain, and improve our services. Here’s how we use your data:

6.1. Providing and Improving Our Services

• Account Management: To create and manage user accounts, including authentication and user preferences.

• Service Delivery: To operate and provide the features and functionalities of our app, including customer support.

6.2. Communications

• To Contact You: We may use your email address to communicate with you.

• Product Communications: Essential messages about your account, service updates, security alerts, and other necessary information.

• Marketing Communications: With your explicit consent, we may send you updates, offers, and news about our products and services. If you would like to You can manage your marketing preferences at any time through your account settings. Click on ‘Settings’ > ‘Manage preferences’ > ‘Marketing Communications’, or by contacting us at hello@screen-squirrel.com. Your consent can be withdrawn at any time. We will never market anything to children in compliance with COPPA and the children’s code (EU, UK).

6.3. Analytics and Performance Monitoring

6.3.a. Website

When you use our website, we may utilise cookies and similar technologies such as pixels, web beacons, and local storage to gather information about your interaction with our services. These technologies help us enhance your experience by making our services more convenient and efficient.

Cookies are particularly useful for estimating our visitor numbers and understanding traffic patterns on our site. If you prefer not to receive cookies, you can adjust your browser settings to refuse them. However, please note that this may impact your ability to fully utilise some features of our services.

6.3.b. Mobile app

We use third-party services, including BetterStack, Sentry, and PostHog, to collect and analyse data about how our app is used. This helps us understand user behaviour and improve our app’s performance and stability.

• BetterStack: For analytics, personalisation, and security.

• Sentry: For error monitoring and performance tracking.

• PostHog: For user behaviour analytics and feature usage tracking.

6.4. Use of Apple IDFV

To enhance your experience, we utilise Apple's Identifier for Vendors (IDFV). The IDFV does not contain personal information and cannot be used to track you across different apps. It is automatically generated by Apple and can only be reset by uninstalling and reinstalling all apps from a particular vendor. For more information, refer to Apple’s Privacy Policy. We share the IDFV with third-party services (including those listed above) only as necessary to provide our services.

6.5. Children's Data

When enabled on a child device, we obtain usage data and present this data to the Parent or otherwise authorised administrator of the Screen Squirrel parent account. We (Screen Squirrel) do not have access to this data due to Apple’s privacy restrictions, thus, the data collected is used solely for the purpose of utility to the Parent, and in turn ensure your (Child’s) safety. See ‘what data we collect - child data’ for detail on what data we collect about your child. Screen Squirrel does not share your (Child) usage data with third parties or external organisations for any reason whatsoever.

6.6. Aggregated Data Analysis

To continually enhance our service, we perform research on user demographics, interests, and behaviour using aggregated data. This aggregated information does not personally identify you and is treated as Non-Personal Data under this Privacy Policy.

7) Lawful bases

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we must have a valid lawful basis to process your personal data. We rely on the following lawful bases:

7.1. Consent

• We process your personal data based on your consent for specific purposes, such as sending marketing communications. You can withdraw your consent at any time by updating your preferences in your account settings or by contacting us at hello@screen-squirrel.com. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the legality of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

7.2. Legitimate Interests

• We process your personal data based on our legitimate interests, which include:

  • Providing and Improving Our Services: Ensuring the functionality and security of our app, conducting performance analysis, and enhancing user experience.

  • Communication: Contacting you regarding essential product updates, service notifications, and customer support.

  • Research and Analytics: Performing research on user demographics, interests, and behaviour to continually improve our services. This involves analysing aggregated data that does not personally identify you.

  • Fraud Prevention: Detecting and preventing fraudulent activities to protect our users and our services.

When processing your data based on legitimate interests, we carefully consider and balance any potential impact on your rights. We ensure that our legitimate interests do not override your privacy rights and freedoms.

For further details on our data processing activities and lawful bases, please refer to the respective sections of this Privacy Policy or contact us at hello@screen-squirrel.com.

8) How long we keep information

We will not retain data longer than necessary to fulfil our contractual and/or legal obligations or to defend us against any liability claims that may arise.

9) Who we share information with

9.1. Data processors

9.1.a. Firebase

This data processor does the following activities for us: Stores basic technical information such as restriction rules and blocking preferences (random app tokens, time when the Application should enable restriction rules), and sync data between devices signed into your Apple ID, Apple Family Sharing.

9.1.a. Sharing information outside the UK: Where necessary, our data processors may share personal information outside of the UK. When doing so, they comply with the UK GDPR, making sure appropriate safeguards are in place. Please contact us for more information.

9.2. Performance monitoring, usage and error tracking services

9.2.a. BetterStack:

• Analytics: Helps us gather data on app usage and performance, enabling us to understand user behaviour and improve app functionality.

9.2.b. Sentry:

• Error Monitoring: Tracks and monitors application errors and crashes to help us identify and fix issues promptly, improving the stability and performance of our app.

• Performance Monitoring: Collects data to help us understand and optimise app performance.

9.2.c. PostHog:

• Analytics: Provides insights into user behaviour and app usage, allowing us to make data-driven decisions to enhance our service.

• Feature Usage Tracking: Helps us understand which features are most used and how users interact with them, guiding our development priorities.

As outlined above in the section “How we use your data”, we use the IDFV which is generated by Apple. The IDFV does not contain any personal information and cannot be used to track you or your child across different companies' apps. We do not share the IDFV with third parties other than BetterStack, Sentry, and PostHog, except as required to provide our services or comply with legal obligations.

For more information on how Apple handles data, please refer to Apple’s Privacy Policy. Additionally, for details on how these third-party services handle data, please refer to their respective privacy policies:

• BetterStack Privacy Policy

• Sentry Privacy Policy

• PostHog Privacy Policy

9.3. Other

Our website and app may include links to third party websites or services. We are not responsible for the information collected by these third parties and we encourage you to read their policies.

10) Subscriptions and billing

All subscriptions and billing are managed through the Apple App Store. Apple handles the payment processing and retains payment and billing information. As a developer, we do not have access to your payment details. However, we may receive information about your subscription status, such as whether your subscription is active, the subscription tier, expiration date, and renewal status.

For more information on how Apple handles your billing information, please refer to Apple's Privacy Policy.

11) Your data protection rights

Under data protection law, you have rights including:

11.1. Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal data.

11.2. Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal data you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.

11.3. Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data in certain circumstances.

11.4. Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

11.5. Your right to object to processing - You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

11.6. Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal data you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

11.7. Your right to withdraw consent – When we use consent as our lawful basis you have the right to withdraw your consent.

You don’t usually need to pay a fee to exercise your rights. If you make a request, we have one calendar month to respond to you.

To make a data protection rights request, please contact us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

12) How to complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, you can make a complaint to us using the contact details at the top of this privacy notice.

If you remain unhappy with how we’ve used your data after raising a complaint with us, you can also complain to the ICO.

The ICO’s address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113

Website: https://www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

13) Security measures

We take all reasonable measures to protect the security of your personal data. This includes:

13.1. Requiring you to set an account password

13.2. Using encryption technologies (such as SSL encryption) to prevent unauthorised access, use or disclosure. You can recognise an encrypted connection by the fact that the address line of the browser changes from "http: //" to "https: //" and by the lock symbol in your browser line. Using SSL encryption means that the data that you transmit to us cannot be read by third parties.

13.3. We are not responsible for the privacy or security practices of any third party, including third parties whom we send information to as listed above.

13.4. Whilst we take tremendous measures to protect your data, please note that no security system can prevent all potential security breaches. 

14) User responsibilities

While we implement robust security measures, the security of your account also depends on you. Please ensure you use a strong password and keep your login credentials confidential. Notify us immediately if you suspect any unauthorised access to your account.

15) Child privacy

At Screen Squirrel, we are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our users, particularly when it comes to the personal data of children. Screen Squirrel is conducted in compliance with the United Kingdom and Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and relevant provincial privacy laws, as well as the U.S. Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires that software companies pre-emptively seek and obtain Parental Consent before collecting any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13.

For information on the information we collect, how we collect it, and how we use the data collected, especially regarding children’s data, please refer to Section 3, Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 in the above policy.

Screen Squirrel does not collect or solicit individually identifiable information from a child without verifiable consent from that child’s parent or guardian. Please do not share personal information about yourself with Screen Squirrel if you yourself are a child under the age of 13. To ensure you fully understand this Privacy Policy, please review it with your parents.

16) For Californian residents

This information is applicable to Californian residents in accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), and supplements this privacy policy. For categories of personal information we have collected in the past 12 months, such as identifiers and other related data, please see Section 3 in the above Privacy Policy.

Your Rights

In accordance with the CCPA, you have the right to request access to the personal information we have collected about you over the past 12 months. You also have the right to request the deletion of this information and to request the correction of any inaccuracies. Please note that the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information is not applicable as we do not sell any personal information. We are committed to honouring these rights and ensuring that your data is handled in compliance with California's privacy regulations. For more details on how to exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@screen-squirrel.com.

17) Last updated

29th August 2024